As we are sitting here watching the Pairs Skating Competition, it is apparent that a lot of procurement was needed to put the Olympics together. The facilities, the food, the equipment, transportation and so on.

In this week’s procurement YouTube video, we hear a new clip from Matthew Hattersley, Commercial Partner at Clarion, as he talks about Transformational Procurement. Clarion recently hosted a seminar at which Paul Dickinson from the Olympic Delivery Authority and head of procurement for the Olympic Park shared his experiences.

Now that the 2012 London Olympics are done, and were by all accounts an overwhelming success, those involved are getting an opportunity to reflect on what they learned. This includes procurement, and the transformational efforts that were attempted.

According to what Paul Dickinson shared at the seminar, there are two primary reasons why attempts at procurement transformation fail:

The strategy in place must be clear at the executive and end user levels and be connected by clear plans that drive the implementation of the strategy.

Document supplier requirements, including outputs and timetables, and use objective, measurable milestones so all parties involved can track how the effort is progressing.

Click on the video below to view it for yourself (or click here to view it on YouTube if your browser does not support Flash) and then join the conversation here.

The week's eSourcing wiki article is about Center Led Purchasing. There are many benefits to having a central procurement team focusing on strategic sourcing practices, tools and efficiencies. A few days ago we discussed the Greening of the Olympics. With that in mind, I was reading about utilization of the Center Led Procurement and the Olympics.

The magic of the Olympics is moving into the second week in London. As we watch all the events and cheer on the athletes, it occurred to me that the Olympics is a HUGE procurement engine. There are many people to feed and services to provide in order to make this world event come off smoothly. And if done right, it can help contain costs and also keep the environment from getting crushed with waste and pollutants. We are all responsible and working increasing towards sustainable sourcing results.

I read this article in the New York Times and it shared some interesting insights. Keeping the environment in mind has been evolving since the 1994 Games in Norway.

The largest carbon footprint is from the construction materials themselves, not the food, travel or waste. London has put together a long term vision of how to utilize the permanent structures after the Games have concluded. The remaining temporary structures were constructed carefully to be able to reuse or recycle the materials.

Of course all of this has economic and social factors to consider. And when it really comes down to it, the athletes must come first. Quality of the product or service is still a high expectation.

Have you had the opportunity to procure for a large event such as the Olympics? What factors did you need to consider for sustainability? Any tips or tricks you can share?

In a few weeks, the Olympics will be on the World Stage in London. Everyone loves to watch the events and get caught up in the drama, the excitement and participating in the successes of the athletes. What was it that allowed those atheletes to be the best in their field and make it there? Some would say because they worked hard and did not quit. While that is true, the real story is that they did not quit the right things but they did quit the wrong things.